Difficulties in Cultural Adaptation - Assignment Example

?Full Culture Adaptation Being an international there were a lot of struggles that I have been through adapting not just in school but also in the community when I first came to America. Since English is my second language and communication is necessary in everyday affairs, I found speaking to be the most challenging in my adaptation to my new environment. I once had the fear of communicating with native speakers because I thought no one might understand me and I might be laughable. I know that even if I spoke in English, my intonation was noticeably Asian and I sometimes felt funny listening to myself. Moreover, I was not very sure of the right words to use and my sentence construction was poor. Most of the native speakers speak fast maybe because they are used to the language. They take little effort to process the words they listen to and to chose the words they need to use in order to express their thoughts. For me, even telling about myself was a lot of work. I have to think first of the right words to use and simultaneously fear what might be the reaction of the people I speak with if I chose the wrong word. I always wonder if people are able to grasp the message I want to communicate. On my part, I was really having a lot of difficulty understanding English speakers so I thought the might not understand what I was really saying. Luckily, I met other Asian students and I considered it a real comfort to become friends with them. There were those who came to the country earlier than I did and they were a great help, patiently teaching and correcting me in my communication skills. In addition, there were also those who were new who shared the same problems with me. Since we were in the same dilemma, we decided to help each other. We meet together to study, speak to each other and share our experiences in our second language, English. We did everything together because we realized that the easiest way for us to learn as fast as we could is to help each other. Most Americans are always busy and they are easily exhausted trying to understand foreigners speaking their language who are struggling with their words. I think my Asian friends were the ones who could understand my situation and would be able to be patient with me. Aside from meeting with my friends, I also found other ways to help myself improve my English communication skills, like taking extra time to watch movies and newscasts. In this manner, I got used to hearing native speakers and learn new words. For every new word I learned, I found it helpful to write it and find its meaning. Then I try to use the word when I speak with my friends, classmates or other people. Using the new word throughout the day helped me to remember the word and its meaning so my vocabulary increased each day. Also, I tried to imitate the speakers on the way they opened their mouths when they speak and the way they sounded. At first, I usually laughed at myself because I seemed to be a nut. However, as I was increasing my vocabulary, my speaking and listening skills improved as well so I knew I was performing just fine. Whenever I was given things to read, I took time to read quietly and understand the printed material first before I read aloud and listen to my voice as I do so. Whenever there were things I did not understand, I usually consulted the dictionary and sometimes search internet engines especially when I need help with idiomatic expressions. Probably, one of the most difficult things I encountered in the use of the English language is, understanding idiomatic expressions. Oftentimes, I miss sarcasm, humor or whatever is meant by the expressions used in sentences. I tried to read facial expressions of the people around me to try to understand but I know it is not an accurate means to understand orally communicated messages. Sometimes, I think I understand something that was said but whenever I am not sure if I understood correctly, some low self-esteem issues arise. Learning about idiomatic expressions was not just helpful to me but it was also interesting. I know I did not just have to memorize words but that I also needed to understand the logic behind an expression. Consequently, all my hard work paid off. My oral communication skills were largely improving by the day. My social life was getting better because I was becoming more confident befriending Americans and speaking with them. The American lifestyle is a busy one with the people seemingly unable to find time to stop and just have an idle talk with their neighbors. Work is a necessity and everyone seems to be doing something very important that time is indeed valuable to every American. In China, the lifestyle is very different. People are not always busy rather, have time to chat and laugh with their friends. Students just concentrate on their studies and help with the household chores or party with their friends. All of the financial help comes from parents. Here in America, however, students are encouraged to work because the lifestyle demands more money. With this kind of living, I was surprised at first to learn that people could actually study and work at the same time. It seemed like a huge responsibility to attend to school requirements and at the same time perform duties that may be physically demanding. Nevertheless, I found this to be interesting and the thought of working appealed to me a lot so I worked part time at a tea station. It was a good chance for me to meet new friends and accelerate my learning process. I learned a lot about American culture as I got myself involved with other people. In addition, I learned to manage my time so that I could attend to all my responsibilities and still have time for social events. As I slowly got myself to adjust to the lifestyle I was embracing, I also joined a club that helped me socially. Chinese women are conservative while American women are liberated. In China, women’s actions are usually tempered because they are expected to be demure, tactful and behaved. Only a few are liberated enough to express themselves not only through words but also through their choice of songs, dresses or activities. Here in America, liberated women abound. It always shocked me to see women have all the confidence and freedom to express themselves in whatever manner they wish to accomplish. For instance, an American woman can do the first move and tell a man directly how she feels and there would be no problem about it. in China, such a move is ridiculed. I did not have any trouble with such a practice because I learned about American culture through a lot of movies and books however, witnessing it to truly happen usually caught me off guard. Since I was raised in a conservative country where women are expected to adhere to a lot of limitations, I guess I just feel uneasy about this because of my upbringing. Every culture probably has a set of beliefs that is influenced by religion or could be considered a religion itself. It is an important aspect of culture because I think all people somehow have the need for it. A large percentage of Chinese families practice Buddhism and Taoism which foster strong family ties. Parents strictly raise their children in the teachings of these religions as a part of the discipline. Having been raised in a Buddhist family, I have been trained in the disciplines of the said religion and I am expected to be a Buddhist by heart and mind wherever I am at any given time. Thankfully, America has a great tolerance on different religious beliefs and practices. I do not find any difficulty complying to the responsibilities expected of me, in observance of my religious beliefs. America is composed of various races and a great degree of tolerance has been adapted to show respect to all people, citizens or foreigners. This is probably one of the positive characteristics of America that attracts people around the world to come and experience the country. Another part of culture that really demands a lot of work from me is food. Americans can survive with breads, instant foods or restaurant foods. Since I have been used to heavy meals, I need to cook my own food. When I was in China, my mother usually did the cooking and other household chores because I was encouraged to work more on my school requirements. However, now that I am here alone, I have to learn how to cook Chinese food. It is usually meticulously prepared so I take a lot of time, patience and precision to produce a mouth watering Chinese victual. Life in America, away from family and friends is difficult as the demanding lifestyle is coupled with homesickness. Nevertheless, I survived my adjustment period. Although there are still a lot of things I need to learn, I know that I can survive and overcome whatever circumstances I will encounter. Chinese and American cultures are very different and it is indeed difficult to adjust from things that one practiced for years. However, I guess, considering I was just eighteen when I came here, it made me more resilient to the changes. I may have been through a lot of difficult situations but as I look at myself today, I now understand and appreciate the value of discipline, determination and diligence. Through everything that I experienced in a foreign land, I became more matured in my perspective of life. I am not anymore the childish and always dependent student that I used to be. I believe I have grown a lot not only in knowledge but also emotionally, psychologically and socially. I have always been afraid of changes before because of so many problems I imagined I might not be able to overcome, that I might fail in my endeavors. However, I believe we all come to a point in our lives where we need to step out from our comfort zones and discover what lies behind what we see, conquer our fears and embrace the change that could change our perspectives or even our very lives. For me, when I took the first step to change, I knew there was no turning back despite the fears that always bugged me. Now, I discovered that fears are just distractions which create great imaginary obstacles. I also realized that when one steps out with a conviction to overcome, the doubts are clearly seen as big shadows of small things. Read More